Saturday, November 12, 2011

Surname Saturday - Nason

Our immigrant ancestor Richard Nason first appears in the records when he received 200 acres in Kittery, Maine at Stove Pipe Landing. His origins in England are unknown. According to Stackpole's History of South Berwick:"Richard Nason is mentioned in 1645 in the court records of New Hampshire. He had a grant of 200 acres next south of Thomas Spencer. He is not named among the men of Piscataqua in 1640. The fact that he had so large a grant, equal to that of Thomas Spencer, and his election to the office of selectman in 1654, favor the supposition that he was a man of importance. Perhaps he had been one of Thomas Wiggin's company. He reared a large family, and his surname has spread widely. From the year 1638 to the year 1651 the only persons that appear on records as living at what is now called Great Works were the families of Humphrey Chadbourne, Thomas Spencer and Richard Nason and the two who kept bachelors' hall together, viz., Basil Parker and Peter Weare. There were four houses and decaying mills..."

Richard Nason appears many times in the early records, usually for minor offenses. Some are listed below: In 1645 he and his wife had a dispute with her father, Richard Baker, who was tried in New Hampshire and fined 5 shillings "for beating Richard Nason that he was black and blue and for throwing a fire shovel at his wife." In 1649 Nason served as a juryman. In 1653 he was an Ensign, later Selectman, and held other town offices in Kittery. Maine In 1655 he was charged at York, Maine with not attending church meetings.In 1659 was fined £5 and disenfranchised for entertaining Quakers. In 1665 he was accused of blasphemy. Philip Chesley of Oyster River was witness against him. The General Court did "not judge him so guilty of that fact as that by our lawe he ought to die," but he had to post a £40 bond for good behavior.

Richard Nason's will was dated 14 July 1694 and it names his children, wife Abigail, Abigail's children by her first marriage, Nicholas Follett and Sarah Meader, and Abigail's granddaughter by her previous marriage, Sarah, daughter of Mary Witham.

The Nason Genealogy:

Generation 1: Richard Nason, died sometime between 15 March 1696 when his will was written and 22 December 1696 when his will was proved; married about 1637 to Sarah Baker, daughter of John Baker and Sarah Wall, born about 1614 and died about 1663 in Kittery, Maine. Nine children. At about 1664 he married second to Abigail Brewer, widow of Nicholas Follett.

1. Charles Nason, born about 1639, married Abigail Willoughby

2. John Nason (see below)

3. Baker Nason, born about 1642, married Elizabeth Hatch

4. Jonathan Nason, born about 1645, married Sarah Jenkins

5. Sarah Nason, born aobut 1653, married Henry Child

6. Joseph Nason, born about 1655, married Mary Swain

7. Mary Nason, born about 1655, married Ephraim Trickey

8. Richard Nason, born about 1657, married Shuah Colcord

9. Benjamin Nason, born about 1662, married Martha Canney

Generation 2: John Nason, born about 1640, died 1719 in Dover, New Hampshire; married on 7 October 1697 in Kittery to Bridget Weymouth, daughter of Edward Weymouth and Esther Hodson. Three children.

1. Richard Nason (see below)

2. Hannah Nason, married Nicholas Jellison

3. Joanna Nason

Generation 3: Richard Nason, born about 1704 in South Berwick, Maine; married Mercy Ham, daughter of John Ham and Mary Heard, born 19 July 1708 in Dover, New Hampshire. Five children:

1. Richard Nason (see below)

2. Nathaniel Nason, married Meribah Tuttle

3. Sarah Nason,

4. Bridget Nason

5. Moses Nason, married Olive Davis

Generation 4: Richard Nason, born 31 May 1730 in South Berwick, Maine, died 25 May 1790 in South Berwick; married Mary Thompson, daughter of John Thompson and Mary Stacy. Ten children:

1. Bridget Nason, born before 12 September 1756

2. Mercy Nason, (see below)

3. Amos Nason, born before 3 May 1764, married Hannah Nason, daughter of Moses Nason and Olive Davis- his first cousin

4. Sarah Nason

5. Nabby Nason

6. Betty Nason

7. Sarah Nason

8. Mary Nason, married Richard Shackley

9. Amos Nason,

10. Moses Nason, married Lucy Tebbitts

Generation 5: Mercy Nason, born about 1764; married on 7 February 1788 in South Berwick to William Wilkinson, son of James Wilkinson and Hannah Mead. Three children:

There is an article about Richard Nason in The American Genealogist, Volume 68, pages 106 - 112. Most of the vital records for the Nasons are available in early Maine records for York County. There is also an outline on the Nasons in the Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire by Davis, Libbey and Noyes.

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About Me

Author of the Nutfield Genealogy blog and occasional genealogy speaker. My family research includes Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, with a smattering of Nova Scotia. Please contact me if you see your ancestors on this blog. I would love to share information. I am the former secretary of the New Hampshire Mayflower Society, former President of the Londonderry Historical Society, member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the Mass. Society of Genealogists, The National Genealogical Society, and the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists.